The establishment of large-scale food retailing in emerging countries and its impact on the supply chain The case of Morocco

The establishment and diffusion of modern retailing has had a very strong impact on local economies in emerging countries, particularly in Morocco. Yet existing works remain focused on the impacts of modern retailing on the consumer behavior and on the decline of traditional retailing. Very little attention has been paid to logistics or supply chain matters. In this short contribution, we show how large-scale modern retailing has been instrumental in bringing about upgraded logistics in Morocco (including the use of outsourcing), and how it has led to a substantial structuring of the supply chain. Modern retailing has also had a significant impact on sourcing practices and on relations with suppliers – within both the main industrial sectors and traditional agriculture.